The Swamp Where Gator Hides
by Marianne Berkes (Author) and Roberta Baird (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Under the algae that carpets the swamp, near the duck who paddles in ooze, close to the turtle who takes a snooze . . . hides a gator! Still as a log, only his watchful eyes can be seen. But when gator moves, he really moves! What happens to the duck, the turtle, the egret, the deer, and the many other critters of the swamp when gator makes his move?
Snippet:
This is the sunfish
who scoots away
when Gator comes out
to catch his prey.
WHO WILL HE HAVE FOR LUNCH TODAY?
Six Traits Mini Lesson
Trait: Organization This poem is written as a cumulative tale, a story that uses the This Is The House That Jack Built pattern. Each new creature is introduced with “This is …”
This is the sunfish
The second pattern in this rhyming picture book is seen in the end rhyme. The words at the end of the second and fourth lines rhyme.
The second line ends with the word away:
who scoots away
and the fourth line ends with the word prey:
to catch his prey.
Trait: Word Choice To make a rhyming pattern work, you need to choose your words carefully. The words away and prey aren’t spelled the same, but the sound in the final syllable is the same. Both words end with the long a sound. So does the word at the end of the final line on this page:
WHO WILL HE HAVE FOR LUNCH TODAY?
This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up is hosted by The Opposite of Indifference.
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